Dual Diagnosis
Are you worried that you or someone close to you may have a mental health illness and an addiction? Help is at hand. Here we tell you a little about dual diagnosis, what to look out for and how we can get you or a loved one the best possible treatment.What is dual diagnosis?
Dual diagnosis is when a person is considered to be suffering from a mental health illness and an addiction. Dual diagnosis can cover what are considered minor mental health problems such as depression and addiction ,or be more specific towards major mental health illness such as schizophrenia and addiction.
Signs, symptoms and diagnosis
Making a dual diagnosis in substance abusers is difficult as drug abuse itself often induces psychiatric symptoms. It is therefore necessary to differentiate between substance induced and pre-existing mental illness. Signs and symptoms of a dual diagnosis may include depression, anxiety, confusion, hallucinations, delusions and paranoia.
How to tell the difference between mental illness and substance induced behaviours
Drug and alcohol addiction can induce symptoms that resemble mental illness, and so it is difficult to differentiate between substance induced symptoms and pre-existing mental health illness. Substance induced symptoms can be evident during withdrawal and while the individual is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Most often, if a person has sustained abstinence from the addictive substance their psychiatric symptoms will disappear. However, there is evidence to suggest that symptoms can persist long after detoxification. These can include depression after amphetamine or cocaine abuse, and delusional and paranoid behaviour after abuse of hallucinogens, and panic attacks after cannabis use. Alcohol addiction can cause depression and anxiety but this usually fade away after detox. Abuse of benzodiazepines can cause symptoms that, even after withdrawal, may be problematic for many months or, in extreme cases, years.
Treatment for dual diagnosis
